The impact of intravenous medetomidine and vatinoxan on echocardiographic evaluation of dogs with stage B1 mitral valve disease.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the echocardiographic effects of intravenous medetomidine and vatinoxan in dogs with stage B1 mitral valve disease. We hypothesised medetomidine-vatinoxan would reduce the need for manual restraint during echocardiography without producing detrimental cardiovascular effects or echocardiographic changes. ANIMALS: Twelve client-owned dogs with stage B1 mitral valve disease. METHODS: A transthoracic echocardiographic examination was performed before and after sedation with intravenous medetomidine (10&#xa0;&#x3bc;g/kg) and vatinoxan (200&#xa0;&#x3bc;g/kg). Vital parameters were also recorded, and the level of sedation was assessed subjectively. The data were analysed with Student's t-tests with an alpha level of <0.05. RESULTS: End-systolic volume and left ventricular systolic diameter increased (from 0.89&#xa0;&#xb1;&#xa0;0.19&#xa0;mL/kg to 1.13&#xa0;&#xb1;&#xa0;0.29&#xa0;mL/kg and 0.96&#xa0;&#xb1;&#xa0;0.12&#xa0;cm to 1.10&#xa0;&#xb1;&#xa0;0.10&#xa0;cm, respectively) and ejection fraction (from 66.33&#xa0;&#xb1;&#xa0;4.0% to 56.23&#xa0;&#xb1;&#xa0;9.54%) and fractional shortening (from 36.13&#xa0;&#xb1;&#xa0;5.42% to 27.24&#xa0;&#xb1;&#xa0;5.6%) decreased significantly after sedation. End diastolic volume, left ventricular diastolic diameter, and left atrial size remained statistically unchanged, while aortic (from 1.34&#xa0;&#xb1;&#xa0;0.2&#xa0;m/s to 0.99&#xa0;&#xb1;&#xa0;0.14&#xa0;m/s) and pulmonic (from 0.94&#xa0;&#xb1;&#xa0;0.16&#xa0;m/s to 0.66&#xa0;&#xb1;&#xa0;0.15&#xa0;m/s) velocities decreased significantly. No dogs had a mean arterial pressure below 65&#xa0;mmHg. Sedation enabled echocardiographic examination without manual restraint. No adverse effects were observed with the dose studied. CONCLUSIONS: Echocardiographic parameters were not completely comparable with the baseline values, which should be taken into consideration when evaluating dogs sedated with intravenous medetomidine-vatinoxan.